Directions

Press 2 white spice drops together and roll out on a lightly sugared surface to ⅛ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining white spice drops. Cut out the beard shape with sharp scissors from the rolled out spice drops. Press 2 of the red spice drops together. Roll out the red candies on the red sugared surface, adding more red sugar when necessary to ⅛ inch thickness. Repeat with the remaining candies to make discs (there will be 8 red spice drops left over). Cut out the hat shapes with sharp scissors.

Soften 3 of the chocolate taffy pieces in the microwave for 3 seconds. Press the candies together and roll out into a rope about 9" long. Flatten the rope with a rolling pin and cut ½ thick wide by 9" strip to make the belt. Repeat with the remaining taffies to make 8 belts.

Spoon ½ cup of the vanilla frosting into a plastic bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Tint ½ cup of the vanilla frosting pale pink with the red food colouring. Tint the remaining vanilla frosting red with the red food colouring. Spoon the red sugar into a shallow bowl. Spread the red frosting on top of the jumbo cupcakes to mound slightly. Roll the tops of the cupcakes in the red sugar to cover completely. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a few dots of vanilla frosting around the top edge of the jumbo frosted cupcake. Attach the chocolate taffy as the belt around top edge, trimming any excess if necessary.

Cut the red candies in half with a small knife. Spread the top of the mini cupcake with the pink frosting to cover and make smooth. Add the white spice drop beard on one half of the cupcake and let overhang slightly. Add the red spice drop hat on the opposite side of the mini cupcake, allowing it to overhang slightly. Add the mini chocolate chips as eyes, pointed ends down into the pink frosting. Pipe a decorative edge along straight edge of red hat. Pipe a dot at the very tip of hat. Pipe small dots of frosting and attach the pink candies for the nose, red candies for the mouth and the flat pink candies as the cheeks.

Turn the decorated head on its side and place on the body in the center of the cupcake. Place the remaining red spice drop behind the overhang of the hat for support. Add the 2 green spice drops, flat side against the cupcake, as the mittens. Pipe a dot on the center of the chocolate taffy and add the chocolate with sprinkles.

Arrange 2 chocolate cream filled cookies on top of each other on a serving plate. Place 2 malted milk balls in front. Place the Santa cupcake on top of the cookies and candies to look like his boots. Add some more sprinkled covered chocolates on plate. Repeat with the remaining Santa cupcakes.